In the method for processing silver halide color photographic materials, shortening of the processing time and reduction of the amount of a replenisher are becoming increasingly important issues in addressing recent demands to shorten the delivery of finished products and improve global-scale environmental problems. For such needs, a rapid processing technique and a low-replenishing processing technique wherein a high-silver chloride emulsion is used are disclosed in International Publication Patent No. WO 87/04534 and Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 70552/1986.
Indeed, increased rapidness and low replenishing were attained in these methods by using a high-silver chloride emulsion, but at the same time new problems arose. That is, along with the shortening of the developing time, photographic materials can be designed in such a way that desired photographic properties can be obtained even if development is not completed within the developing time, and therefore it is possible that before the completion of development the next desilvering step can be carried out. However, in such rapid and low-replenishing processing, contrarily a problem arises that a slight change in the development conditions (such as the pH of the developing solution and the concentration of the preservative) in the continuous processing is apt to change the finished photographic properties, and it is desired to provide some means which can solve the problem. Further, in such rapid processing, development proceeds during the time when the photographic material is carried from the color-developing bath to the next desilvering step (i.e., during the crossover) in the continuous processing, or the proceeding of the development changes when the photographic material touches a squeegee (a liquid remover) or conveying roller, and as a result ununiformity of developed density is often observed, and development of a technique for solving it is desired. Moreover another new problem has arisen that in the continuous processing deposits, such as the oxidation product of a developing agent, are liable to be formed on the wall surface of the development solution tank outside the solution and on the wall surfaces of racks near the solution interface, and scratch and stain are liable to occur, which is desired to be solved. It seems that this phenomena, as described in WO 87/04534, is attributed greatly to the composition of a color developer wherein, for example, sulfite ions and benzyl alcohol are removed.
On the other hand, as techniques prior to such rapid processing wherein a high polymer compound is added to a color developer, for example, techniques wherein celluloses are added are disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 41676/1971 and 21250/1975, a technique wherein a pyrrolidone is added is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 20743/1972, and a technique wherein a polymer is added is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 16179/1983. In these techniques, the object of the high polymer compounds is not to allow a developing agent to become indissoluble and deposit in the developing solution or not to make the developing solution turbid, and therefore these techniques have a utterly different object from the present invention.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve fluctuations of photographic properties at the time of continuous rapid processing and to solve ununiformity of developed density that will occur therein.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent the occurrence of deposits outside of the processing solution, such as on the wall surface of a processing tank.